Study on Evolution Law of Four Dimensional In-Situ Stress in Shale Formation
摘要
In situ stress, a critical parameter for shale gas development, influences well placement, drilling operations, and hydraulic fracturing design. During shale gas exploitation, fluid injection (for hydraulic fracturing) and subsequent extraction (for gas production) induce pore pressure variations, leading to time-dependent evolution of in situ stress (i.e., 4D stress). Because of this four-dimensional stress, design of shale gas well in the future can not be merely relied on original in situ stress. This dynamical change is vital for future shale gas exploitation at the oilfield. The efficient development of shale gas reservoirs places higher demands on the understanding of the dynamic evolution laws of geomechanics. Traditional static in-situ stress models cannot reveal this change of in-situ stress during hydraulic fracturing and production, and it is urgent to build a more accurate four-dimensional dynamic model. This study focuses on Longmaxi Formation shale, establishing a platform-scale 4D coupling model via fluid-solid interaction numerical simulations to systematically analyze in situ stress behaviors during fracturing and production stages, while quantifying fracturing-induced stress and its long-term impacts on the near-wellbore stress field. Results indicate that hydraulic fracturing significantly elevate in situ stress due to massive high-pressure fluid injection, with the most pronounced stress increments occurring near the wellbore. In the stage of post-fracturing, in situ stress decreases but remains elevated. During production, stress dissipates yet remains higher than initial values. Such residual stress exerts a notable influence on infill well deployment, thereby providing theoretical and technical support for fracturing design optimization and refracturing strategies in shale gas reservoir.